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Winter blast hits Lynbrook, East Rockaway

Schools closed on Tuesday

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A massive nor'easter out of the west swept across Long Island early Monday, and as the Herald went to press on Tuesday, prognosticators said it could drop up to a foot or more of snow across the area, with wind gusts expected to reach 30 to perhaps as high as 60 miles per hour.

Lynbrook and East Rockaway were two areas hit hard by the storm. Both of the school districts closed ahead of the winter blast on Sunday and then announced on Monday that they would remain closed Tuesday. Updates on the status of re-openings will be posted on the Lynbrook and East Rockaway school district websites, as well as on their social media feeds. 

Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach said the village’s Department of Public Works, Department of Emergency Management and police and fire departments met Sunday to discuss their plans to combat the storm. The DPW began salting the roads on Sunday night, while the LFD ensured there was extra personnel staffed at the firehouses in case of emergency.

“Lynbrook is home to many front-line workers, so we want to make sure they are able to get to work safely, whether it be a local hospital or job site in the city,” Beach said on Monday. “We’re asking our residents that do not need to be out on essential trips to please stay off the roads.”

Nassau County and town officials urged people to stay off the roads during the storm if they could. Road conditions were already "treacherous" by Monday morning.

"Wind is going to play a significant role in this storm," said County Executive Laura Curran during a news conference Sunday. "We're talking about blizzard-like conditions .... It's going to be heavy, wet snow with a lot of wind."

The biggest snowfall was expected between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday. The South Shore was expected to be "most vulnerable," the county executive said.

"As the day goes on, conditions are going to get more dangerous for driving," Curran said.

Two to five inches fell by the time of the morning commute at 9 a.m., and snow accumulated throughout the day after that.

Delays service disruptions also occurred on the Long Island Rail Road and NICE Bus routes.

For your hyperlocal forecast by zip code, see the National Weather Service here.

Power outages were expected. To report one, go to PSEGliny.com.